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With you. We’re heading toward a planetoid, one I’ve never chanced on.

Please send me a live feed.

A few moments later, his neural vision flickered onto the view of a desert-like vista covered in deep rock-hewn fissures and rolling dunes.

Dotted between outcrops of large stones were clusters of scrub and giant brittle dried trees looming over the sagebrush.

Also present were massive ranges, their crags obscured in veils of silver-purple haze that blanketed most of the highlands.

The sun glimmered through the mist, adding a ghost-like lilac hue to the scenery.

Glimmer dropped towards the lower ledge of a lofty mountain surrounded by chasms that meandered and trailed away from it like a skirt.

Mirage patched into Riv’s node.She’s commanded me to hover in stealth mode over that peak and left the bridge—no doubt heading back to her boat.

Silence took over, and after a beat, Mirage gave another update just as the ship Riv was in powered up. She’s taken control of her rust bucket and is about to maneuver it from Glimmer’s hold.

The Osprey’s quivering take-off vibrated through him, and Riv imagined it flying out of his gunship’s expansive bay.

You’re descending to the surface,came Mirage’s notification.

It was a short flight. A litany of vibrations and the creak of levers told Riv the vessel was moving into position for landing.

They touched down with a shudder of brakes and screeching of a tired engine.

It took another half hour of banging and noises outside before the door opened, and Élisa appeared.

Her face was closed off and solemn as she approached. ‘Nofokkin’ nonsense now, stranger. I’ll ask you to place your hands through the shield.’

With the touch of a button on the console beside the compartment, a partition formed in the energy barrier.

Riv tucked his poetry book into his back pocket.

Sauntering to the edge of his cell where she waited, he placed his wrists through the separation, holding them together.

Élisa slid a group of laser cuffs over them, and as she played with their settings, she glanced at him for a moment.

Her eyes narrowed as she studied his face up close. ‘There’s something about you.’

They stood so close he breathed in the citrus-like notes in her hair, the musk of her clean skin, and the honeycomb scent of her nape.

His heart skipped a beat as he fought to keep his distinctive rasp out of his manufactured Galician droll. ‘What do you mean?’

Her gaze flicked over his disguised features. ‘It’s like we’ve met before.’

But we have my love, we have.

We’ve more than met.

We’ve made meals together, shared laughs, exchanged memories, and lost ourselves in hours of sensual bliss.

He wanted to shout it out, to release the agony building up inside him. Instead, he curled his lips with disdain and snarled. ‘I have no idea what you’re speaking of, woman. I’d remember a ball buster like you if I’d ever encountered you. Where are we?’

Her lilac eye iced over. ‘You’ll find out soon enough when I’m ready to share. Now freakin’ shut it.’

She withdrew, punching the console once more. The barrier fell away, and she jerked her chin at him. ‘Move.’

His eyes tracked to the door, and she nodded, taking hold of the weapon on the side of her jumpsuit.